Cinemasia 2025
May 9 to 11 at Filmhuis Den Haag.
About CinemAsia
CinemAsia Film Festival brings together stories from Asia and its diaspora to enhance the visibility and empowerment of Asian communities within Dutch culture and media. The festival aims to foster an inclusive society by enriching the social dialogue around Asian culture. It combines Asian cinema with popular media and community building to create a space for diverse voices and narratives, promoting understanding and representation of the Asian experience in the Netherlands.
Program Saturday
14:30 - Single8
EN subs
Director KONAKA Kazuya’s semi-autobiographical love letter to the old days of analogue filmmaking, centred around a high school cinephile who teams up with his classmates to make his no-budget science fiction masterpiece for a class project.
16:45 The Paradise of Thorns
EN subs
Set in northern Thailand, Thongkam and Sek build their paradise within a durian orchard. When a sudden tragedy takes Sek away from Thongkam, he has no option but to fight for the fruits of his labour and love.
19:30 Tale of the Land
EN subs
After losing her parents and their land, May lives with her grandfather in a floating house on the sea. Plagued by a condition that causes her to faint on land, villagers believe she is cursed, deepening her isolation.
Program Sunday
12:00 My First of May
EN subs
A local squash champion’s family shatters after his newborn daughter is diagnosed with a rare spinal disease. A decade later, a turn of events forces him to face his grief and reconnect with his daughter.
14:30 Between Goodbyes
EN subs - with Q&A
Mieke was adopted from South Korea to the Netherlands as a child. When she visits her original family in Seoul, they navigate acceptance, cultural differences, and forgiveness, while still healing from decades of separation.
17:00 Yen and Ai-Lee
EN subs
After 8 years in prison, Yen returns to her hometown in Kaohsiung to reconcile with her mother. When the mysterious Ai-Lee enters her life, a shared secret is revealed, forcing the mother and daughter to confront buried truths.